Cooking device having a lower door

Abstract

A cooking device including a housing assembly, device components, and a lower door. The housing assembly defines a cooking volume configured to receive a cooking structure on which foodstuffs are placed. The housing assembly includes a fixed bottom portion having rear portion that includes lower, rear curve. At least a subset of the device components is positioned in a lower portion of the cooking volume located below the cooking structure. The lower door is movably coupled to the fixed bottom portion of the housing assembly and is positionable in an open position in which the subset of the device components is accessible. In a closed position, the lower portion of the cooking volume is substantially sealed. The lower door include a front lower curve that is substantially similar to the lower, rear curve.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cooking device comprising:
 a housing assembly that defines a cooking volume configured to receive a cooking structure on which foodstuffs are placed, the housing assembly including a fixed bottom portion having rear portion that includes downwardly extending lower, rear curve, the downwardly extending lower, rear curve at least partially disposed towards a longitudinal axis that bisects the housing assembly; 
 one or more device components, at least a subset of the device components is positioned in a lower portion of the cooking volume located below the cooking structure; and 
 a lower door that is movably coupled to the fixed bottom portion of the housing assembly and is positionable in an open position in which the subset of the device components is accessible and in a closed position in which the lower portion of the cooking volume is substantially sealed, the lower door including a front lower curve that is substantially similar to the lower, rear curve. 
 
     
     
       2. The cooking device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a cross section of the housing assembly is substantially symmetric about the longitudinal axis that bisects the housing assembly, and 
 the longitudinal axis extends through a lowermost point of the lower bottom portion. 
 
     
     
       3. The cooking device of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the fixed bottom portion includes an upwardly curved surface that extends from the lowermost point of the fixed bottom portion; and 
 the lower door is rotatably coupled to the upwardly curved surface. 
 
     
     
       4. The cooking device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the lower door includes an upper door portion and a lower door portion; 
 in the closed position, the upper door portion is disposed substantially adjacent to an edge of a fixed portion of the housing assembly; and 
 in the open position, the lower door is rotated about the fixed lower portion such that the upper door portion is separated from the edge. 
 
     
     
       5. The cooking device of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the housing assembly includes a first side and a second side that is positioned opposite the first side; and 
 the lower door extends an entirety of a distance between the first side and the second side. 
 
     
     
       6. The cooking device of  claim 4 , wherein the upper door portion includes a free edge that translates along a curved path during a transition between the open position and the lower position, the curved path extending down and away to from the housing assembly. 
     
     
       7. The cooking device of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper lid that is rotatably coupled to a fixed upper portion of the housing assembly, wherein:
 the upper lid is configured to rotate in a first angular direction relative to the fixed upper portion to allow access to the cooking structure; 
 the lower door is configured to rotate in a second angular direction relative to the fixed lower portion; and 
 the second angular direction is substantially opposite the first angular direction. 
 
     
     
       8. The cooking device of  claim 7 , wherein the upper lid and the lower door are positioned on a front of the cooking device that is opposite the rear portion. 
     
     
       9. The cooking device of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the housing assembly include an upper arced portion, a lower arced portion, and a rectangular portion that connects the upper arched portion and the lower arced portion; and 
 a free edge of the lower door is positioned adjacent to or contacts the rectangular portion when the lower door is positioned in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       10. The cooking device of  claim 1 , wherein the subset of device components includes one or more or a combination of a wood pellet burner, a baffle, an auger conduit, a drip tray, and an internal surface of the housing assembly. 
     
     
       11. The cooking device of  claim 1 , further comprising a first heat source that is disposed below the cooking structure a first distance in a first direction, wherein the subset of device components includes a second heat source that is disposed below the first heat source and is separated from the cooking structure by a second distance in the first direction. 
     
     
       12. The cooking device of  claim 1 , further comprising an upper lid, wherein:
 the upper lid is positionable in a closed position that substantially seals an upper portion of the cooking volume relative to an environment surrounding the cooking device; 
 when the lower door is in the closed positions, the lower door substantially seals a lower portion of the cooking volume relative to the environment surrounding the cooking device; and 
 when the upper lid and the lower door are in the closed positions, thermal losses to the environment are reduced. 
 
     
     
       13. A housing assembly for a cooking device, the housing assembly comprising:
 a first side that includes a first upper arced planar portion, a first upper curved edge that extends along at least a portion of the first upper arced planar portion, a first lower arced planar portion, and a first lower curved edge that extends along at least a portion of the first lower arced planar portion; 
 a second side that includes a second upper arced planar portion, a second upper curved edge that extends along at least a portion of the second upper arced planar portion, a second lower arced planar portion, and a second lower curved edge that extends along at least a portion of the second lower arced planar portion; 
 a fixed bottom portion that is coupled to the first side along the first lower curved edge and to the second side along the second lower curved edge; 
 a fixed upper portion that is coupled to the first side along the first upper curved edge and to the second side along the second upper curved edge; 
 an upper lid that is rotatably coupled to the fixed upper portion and is positionable in an open position in which a cooking structure is accessible and in a closed position in which an upper portion of a cooking volume is substantially sealed; and 
 a lower door that is rotatably coupled to the fixed bottom portion and positionable in an open position in which a subset of cooking device components is accessible and in a closed position in which a lower portion of the cooking volume is substantially sealed, the lower door including a downwardly extending curved outer surface that is at least partially disposed towards a longitudinal axis that bisects the housing assembly when the lower door is in the closed position. 
 
     
     
       14. The housing assembly of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the fixed bottom portion includes a lowermost point and an upwardly curved surface that extends in a direction towards the fixed upper portion from the lowermost point of the fixed bottom portion; and 
 the lower door is rotatably coupled to the upwardly curved surface via one or more hinges. 
 
     
     
       15. The housing assembly of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the fixed bottom portion includes a rear portion that includes lower, rear curve; and 
 the lower door includes a front lower curve that is substantially similar to the lower, rear curve such that a cross section of the housing assembly is substantially symmetric about the longitudinal axis that bisects the housing assembly, the longitudinal axis extending through the lowermost point. 
 
     
     
       16. The housing assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the lower door makes up a substantial portion of a front, arced portion of the housing assembly. 
     
     
       17. The housing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the lower door extends an entirety of a distance between the first side and the second side. 
     
     
       18. The housing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the lower door includes an upper door portion and a lower door portion; and 
 when the upper lid and the lower door are in the closed position, the upper door portion is disposed substantially adjacent to a lower edge of the upper lid. 
 
     
     
       19. The housing assembly of  claim 16 , further comprising a rectangular portion that connects the fixed upper portion and the fixed bottom portion, wherein:
 the lower door includes an upper door portion and a lower door portion; 
 when the lower door is in the closed position, the upper door portion is disposed substantially adjacent to the rectangular portion; and 
 in the open position, the lower door is rotated about the fixed bottom portion such that the upper door portion is separated from the rectangular portion. 
 
     
     
       20. The housing assembly of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the upper lid and the lower door are positioned on a front of the cooking device; 
 the upper lid is configured to rotate in a first angular direction relative to the fixed upper portion; 
 the lower door is configured to rotate in a second angular direction relative to the fixed bottom portion; and 
 the second angular direction being substantially opposite the first angular direction.